Method and System for Peer-To-Peer Authorization

1. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for use in a data processing system for an authorization operation, wherein the computer program product is executed by a computer system to execute a method comprising: receiving, at a central server within a peer-to-peer network from a first peer node within the peer-to-peer network, a search query for one or more resources within the peer-to-peer network; identifying by the central server a resource at a second peer node that satisfies the search query; inserting by the central server information about the resource into a search result dataset in response to a determination that the first peer node or a user of the first peer node is authorized to access the resource; returning by the central server the search result dataset to the first peer node; receiving, by the central server, a selection of a resource from the search result dataset from the first peer node; generating an authorization token for the first peer node to access the resource at the second peer node in response to a determination that the first peer node or a user of the first peer node is authorized to access the resource; and returning the authorization token to the first peer node for use by the first peer node in sending a request to obtain the selected resource from the second peer node.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to generate the authorization token in response to receipt of the selection of the resource.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to attach or embed the authorization token in the search result dataset that is returned to the first peer node.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to authenticate the first peer node or a user of the first peer node prior to generating the authorization token.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to send the authorization token to the first peer node for use by the first peer node in obtaining access to the resource at the second peer node.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to provide access to the resource in response to a verification of the authorization token at the second peer node.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to digitally sign the authorization token for subsequent verification.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to insert an identifier for the second peer node into the authorization token for extraction by the first peer node to identify the second peer node.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer program product is executed by the computer system to insert an identifier for the resource into the authorization token for extraction by the second peer node to identify the resource.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the authorization token is generated at the central server.

11. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the authorization token is generated at a trusted centralized authority.

12. A data processing system comprising a server within a peer-to-peer network for receiving from a first peer node within the peer-to-peer network a search query for one or more resources within the peer-to-peer network; where the server identifies a resource at a second peer node that satisfies the search query; inserts information about the resource into a search result dataset in response to a determination that the first peer node or a user of the first peer node is authorized to access the resource; returns the search result dataset to the first peer node; receives a selection of a resource from the search result dataset from the first peer node; generates an authorization token for the first peer node to access the resource at the second peer node in response to a determination that the first peer node or a user of the first peer node is authorized to access the resource; and returns the authorization token to the first peer node for use by the first peer node in sending a request to obtain the selected resource from the second peer node.

13. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the server generates the authorization token in response to receipt of the selection of the resource.

14. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the server attaches or embeds the authorization token in the search result dataset that is returned to the first peer node.

15. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the server authenticates the first peer node or a user of the first peer node prior to generating the authorization token.

16. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the first peer node sends the authorization token to the second peer node to obtain access to the resource at the second peer node.

17. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the second peer node provides access to the resource in response to a verification of the authorization token at the second peer node.

18. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the server digitally signs the authorization token for subsequent verification.

19. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the server inserts an identifier for the second peer node into the authorization token for extraction by the first peer node to identify the second peer node.

20. The data processing system of claim 12 , where the server inserts an identifier for the resource into the authorization token for extraction by at the second peer node to identify the resource.

21. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the authorization token is generated at a central server.

22. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein the authorization token is generated at a trusted centralized authority.